Six Flags and Warner Brothers

[Monkey joe]

I was wondering today about, what if Six Flags lost the Warner Brothers license for their parks. Would it effect their overall business or improve it? From Warner's postion, I think that it would them to seperate from Six Flags as the brand and parks are loseing alot of value. Six Flags proably wouldn't hurt too much because people come for the coasters, not the characters and icons.

Personally next to Disney, Warner Brothers has one of the best library of entertainment programs and characters. If I were Warner, I would look into building a Disney-style park that is high on detail, theming, and story. Disney has Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and many other. Warner has Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Fred Flintstone, and Scooby Doo.

Next to Universal Studio parks, Disney don't really have a threat in the theme park industry in the United States. Paramount Parks don't count because there Amusement Parks more than full force theme parks. I think that if Warner opens a major park, they could give Disney a run for their money, which is a thing. This will drive Disney to build better rides and attractions for their parks.

I know that Islands of Adventure, I suppose do this but a lot of time has pass since then. Warner could learn from all of Islands mistakes.

What do you think?

[figment1986]

I doubt Warner would leave six flags and then open their own parks....

Oh.. and Paramount parks can do great themeing... I only been to Kings Dominion.. but Volcano had a excelent queue.... for a while....

[Monkey joe]

I doubt Warner would leave six flags and then open their own parks....

Oh.. and Paramount parks can do great themeing... I only been to Kings Dominion.. but Volcano had a excelent queue.... for a while....

Paramount does okay themeing, but not Disney or Universal level themeing. I have been to Paramount Kings Islands and the theme is nice but lacking in some areas.

[CoasterMatt]

Paramount is also interested in dumping off their parks, but at the moment, they're asking WAAAAY too much...

[cellarhound]

Paramount is also interested in dumping off their parks, but at the moment, they're asking WAAAAY too much...

I hope that Cedar Fair has the good sense in buying them and not Six Flags...

[Mr. Eggz]

Warner Bros. did try to do full-on Universal-level theme park with Warner Bros. Movie World parks in Spain and Australia, but they have failed miserably. Time Warner and other large media companies now consider theme parks a bad investment in the post 9/11 world (many people in corporate Disney do as well).

Here are some links...

http://www.movieworld.com.au/home/homepage.cfm

http://www.warnerbrospark.com/

[fkurucz]

Personally next to Disney, Warner Brothers has one of the best library of entertainment programs and characters. If I were Warner, I would look into building a Disney-style park that is high on detail, theming, and story. Disney has Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and many other. Warner has Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Fred Flintstone, and Scooby Doo.

Aren't some of those Hanna-Barbara characters?

I saw a documentary some years ago about Waner bros cartoons. Bugs and friends were contemporaries of Mickey and friends back in the 40's. But Warner characters were what we today might call "edgy". By todays standards their actics are tame, but back then they were considered wild and irreverant (not wholesome). The documentary described them as the "anti-disney" of cartoons.

[dshimel]

I was wondering today about, what if Six Flags lost the Warner Brothers license for their parks.

They can't "lose" the license. In 1998 when they bought the Six Flags park chain from Time Warner for $1.9 billion, it came with a perminant right to use Looney Toons and DC Comics in Six Flags parks as well as sell the merchandise of those characters in Six Flags parks.

What wasn't 100% clear, but was later settled in court, was whether PKS could rename many of its existing parks with the Six Flags name and thus get to sell Looney Toons and DC comics characters at parks other than those covered in the initial sell.

The judge ruled that the contract was vague, thus neither side was clear in what exactly it was buying/selling. The judge ordered PKS to pay Time Warmer some extra coin, and in return granted PKS the right to use and sell Looney Tunes and DC Comics in ANY park they own, whether they rename the park to the Six Flags name or not.... Forever.

NOW, that ruling was for the Six Flags Inc entity only and any sell or merger of Six Flags to or with another company could reopen the issue.

[ah schucks]

Warner Bros- could stand to focus on there gem properties creating singular themed parks- Per example- Harry Potter could be an entire park as could Lord of the Rings.